Overweight and obesity in a representative sample of schoolchildren – exploring the urban–rural gradient in Sweden
- 23 February 2011
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in Obesity Reviews
- Vol. 12 (5), 305-314
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-789x.2010.00838.x
Abstract
P>To present the prevalence and urban-rural differences of overweight and obesity in 7-9-year-old Swedish schoolchildren, we used anthropometric data from a nationally representative survey performed in 2008. Trained staff weighed and measured 4538 children in grades 1 and 2 in 94 primary schools. Weight classification was performed using the IOTF reference and school areas were classified based on level of urbanization and area-level education. Overweight was found in 17% of the children including 3% obese. For overweight, odds-ratios were 1.33 and 1.61 (significant) in semi-urban and rural areas, relative to urban areas. After adjusting for area-level education, differences by degree of urbanisation were greatly attenuated and non-significant. For obesity urban-rural differences were observed in boys only and remained after adjustment for area-level education. For area-level education, risk estimates were significantly elevated and unaffected by urbanization and gender, odds-ratios 1.75 and 2.21 for overweight and 2.62 and 3.69 for obesity, in medium- and low-education areas compared to high-education areas. This supports earlier reports identifying areas with low socioeconomic status as high-risk areas for overweight and obesity. However, this study also suggests that gender should be considered when targeting children in urban as well as rural communities for health promoting interventions.Keywords
This publication has 26 references indexed in Scilit:
- A national survey of the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity in ItalyObesity Reviews, 2009
- Children's overweight and obesity: Local and national monitoring using electronic health recordsScandinavian Journal of Public Health, 2009
- Childhood overweight and obesity prevalences levelling off in Stockholm but socioeconomic differences persistInternational Journal of Obesity, 2008
- Recent anthropometric trends among Swedish school children: evidence for decreasing prevalence of overweight in girlsActa Paediatrica, 2008
- Body mass index cut offs to define thinness in children and adolescents: international surveyBMJ, 2007
- Obesity, dietary pattern and physical activity among children in a suburb with a high proportion of immigrantsJournal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 2005
- Prevalence and regional differences in overweight in 2001 and trends in BMI distribution in Swedish children from 1987 to 2001Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 2004
- Growth in Early Life and Its Relation to Pubertal GrowthEpidemiology, 2003
- Social mapping of the obesity epidemic in SwedenInternational Journal of Obesity, 2000
- Establishing a standard definition for child overweight and obesity worldwide: international surveyBMJ, 2000